A group of international activists, including Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg, are being deported from Israel after their Gaza-bound aid vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The yacht, Madleen, which carried 12 people aiming to deliver symbolic humanitarian aid to Gaza, was seized Monday and towed to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. The Israeli government dismissed the voyage as a “selfie yacht stunt,” and said the activists had violated maritime protocols. The passengers have since been taken to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for deportation.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated on X that those who refuse to sign deportation documents will face legal proceedings. Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organized the mission, said its members were now in Israeli custody and could be flown out as early as Tuesday evening.
The Madleen carried a modest load of rice and baby formula intended as a symbolic challenge to Israel’s ongoing naval blockade of Gaza. Among the detained passengers were citizens from Sweden, France, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Spain—including French MEP Rima Hassan and Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad.
The flotilla set sail from Italy on June 1, aiming to spotlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid groups report widespread famine-like conditions. Israel maintains the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons smuggling by Hamas, a justification reiterated by Defence Minister Israel Katz, who warned that any breach attempts would be met with force.
The FFC condemned the interception and Katz’s remarks, calling the blockade illegal and accusing Israel of using misinformation to legitimize military threats against civilians.
The episode echoes memories of the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, when Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish activists during a similar attempt to break the blockade.
In recent weeks, Israel has allowed some aid to enter Gaza through land routes, prioritizing shipments via the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—an initiative backed by the U.S. but criticized by some humanitarian groups for limited reach and access.
In response to the Madleen mission, the Israeli foreign ministry argued that activists were prioritizing media spectacle over tangible relief, noting that over 1,200 aid trucks carrying nearly 11 million meals had entered Gaza in the past two weeks alone.
Despite those claims, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains dire. The Hamas-run health ministry reports over 54,800 deaths since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.
